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Residents urge Torrington council to pause sale of recreation/teen center and consider nonprofit lease
Summary
Property owners Mark and Holly Daly urged the council at public comment to halt or reconsider a recent council vote to sell the recreation/teen center, proposing a nonprofit lease or triple‑net lease to preserve community programming and citing past volunteer investments and a small petition in support.
During the public comment portion of the April 6 Torrington meeting, Mark Daly (who said he does not live in Torrington but owns property in town) and Holly Daly urged the council to pause or reconsider the council's recent decision to sell the city's recreation/teen center building.
Mark Daly described historical community investment in the building, said the building was deeded to the city in 1969 for use as a teen center and said volunteers and donors (including the Moose Lodge) have previously funded improvements such as a roof donation. He argued the city lacks capacity to manage the facility properly and proposed taking the building off the city's budget by leasing or conveying it to a nonprofit to operate as a community center.
Holly Daly, who said she has volunteered with the teen center for many years, described a lightly circulated petition (62 signatures) and examples of programs and groups that use the space. "We didn't hear about the vote," she told the council, and she urged the council to allow more time for the community to develop a feasible nonprofit operating plan.
Council members acknowledged the comments; no formal motion was made at the meeting to pause the sale. The speakers asked the council to evaluate bids carefully and consider nonprofit alternatives before final disposition.
What happens next: The sale process is underway and was discussed in prior council business; community groups seeking to propose a nonprofit lease or acquisition should follow the city's bid/offer process and submit proposals to the mayor's office while monitoring council agendas for decisions or potential reconsideration.
